Inmate Labor Beautifies, Saves Money for Fairfax

“I have nothing but praise for
this program,” says Ned Foster about the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office
Community Labor Force section. Foster is the founder and president of
Friends of Little Rocky Run (FLRR), a group of conservation-minded
volunteers that conduct stream improvement and awareness activities. FLRR
has partnered with the Sheriff's Office to help keep the Little Rocky Run
stream valley clean.

“It’s a win-win situation for the county,” says Deputy Sheriff First
Lieutenant Tyler Corey who supervises the CLF. “Taxpayers save money on
services that otherwise would be contracted out, and offender
participants have the opportunity to engage in meaningful work and
develop employable skills.” Program participants also may earn Judicial
Good Time for their efforts, thereby reducing the incarceration period
and the cost of incarceration to the county, Corey added.

Rose Purple, Chair of the Pine Ridge Park Association in Mason District,
has used the CLF for nine years and says, “We absolutely could not do
what we do at Pine Ridge or at other parks, without this program. Regular
volunteers come and go, but the CLF is consistent, and the Sheriff’s
Office always goes out of its way to accommodate our needs,” she says.

At least two to three times per year—and last year five times—the CLF
has planted trees, hauled mulch, removed invasive plants, and picked up
litter at Pine Ridge Park in Annandale. “The crew works with our other
volunteers and are treated as regular members of our group,” said Purple.
“When you see them working, you cannot tell the crew members from the
regular volunteers.”

Purple credits the program with being rehabilitative. “The labor force
crews are very proud of what they accomplish. Some of the people ask to
be on our events every time we have them. They tell me they are going to
come back on their own to check on the projects at the park.”

The CLF undertook a long-term project at Bailey’s Elementary School,
helping to install an outdoor learning center of native plants in a
courtyard where weeds once ruled. Elisabeth Freed, a Bailey’s parent,
sought help from the Sheriff’s Office because of difficulties recruiting
parents. “Almost 80% of our school families are immigrants, so the
language barrier has been a huge hurdle for us in seeking volunteers.
Also, many of the parents work on weekends, which is when we work on the
courtyard. Lt. Corey’s crew was invaluable, supplying the brawn that we
wouldn’t have had otherwise.”

Freed says the CLF dug trenches to lay bricks for a walkway, hauled and
spread gravel, moved tons of rocks, and dug holes for trees and a pond.
“The outcome,” she says, “is fabulous.”

The county recently recognized Lt. Corey for his work in expanding the
duties of the Community Labor Force. Corey envisioned using the inmate
labor pool as a cost cutting tool for the county. First, he confronted
the problem of excess trash and graffiti at county bus stops and
shelters. Today the CLF services over 250 bus stops and shelters—removing
approximately 680 pounds of trash per day—with an estimated taxpayer
savings of $160,000 per year. The CLF also removes graffiti from the
shelters and performs general maintenance when needed.

Early this year, Corey convinced the county that inmates could perform
landscaping work in a more cost-effective manner than private
contractors. He negotiated the release of one-third of the county’s
landscape contracts to the Community Labor Force. This initiative has
saved the county over $100,000 in its first year.

Any locality—including homeowner associations and “Friends of”
groups—can contact the CLF about a project. If the Sheriff’s Office deems
that the project meets strict criteria, as outlined in the Virginia Code,
then a member of the Board of Supervisors must submit a written request
to the court to allow inmates to address the community’s revitalization
needs. The CLF cannot go on private property without such a court order
in place. (Offenders who are doing weekend community service but who are
not inmates may go on private property without a court order.)

“The work CLF does is subtle,” says Foster. “You wouldn’t know that they
were doing it unless they stopped doing it. The inmates and deputies are
a pleasure to work with and provide a huge benefit to our community.”
Foster noted that the deputies are very concerned about the welfare of
the inmates. “They never put the inmates in harm’s way. Their safety is
always in the forefront.”

Rose Purple echoes Foster’s remarks. “We’ve had a phenomenal experience
with the Community Labor Force.”